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Sunday, January 30, 2011

I swear I haven't watched the SAG Awards. I swear to Heaven I haven't, since I've been visiting my other favorite cousin all evening. These predictions aren;t just last-minute...they're downright late. I have recorded it, so I'm going to watch it before I read blogs and Twitter. But here's how I think it went down:

BEST ENSEMBLE: The Fighter
BEST ACTOR: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
BEST ACTRESS: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christian Bale, The Fighter
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE: Inception

And, hey, who cares about TV? I will if I get a job with them, but since I can't come up with them off the top of my head, I won't bother predicting them. Let's see if I'm right an hour in the past.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

BEST PICTURE127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone

9/10

Toy Story 3did make it, The Town got left off, making True Grit the only Best Picture nominee that did not make my Top 25 list. Cool beans!

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
The Coen Bros, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
David O. Russell, The Fighter

4/5

I KNEW NOLAN WAS THE VULNERABLE ONE! I don't remember if I wrote it here, but I know I did on other blogs. I mean, I still predicted him, but I knew if anyone was going to get left off, it would be him and not David O. Russell. Everyone underestimated that man. Not this guy.

BEST SCORE127 Hours - A.R. Rahman How to Train Your Dragon - John PowellInception - Hans ZimmerThe King's Speech - Alexandre DesplatThe Social Network - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross4/5 Alas, Never Let Me Go is left out in the cold this year. 127 Hours got in, though I for one really liked that score, too. I will never get over Powell's How to Train Your Dragon score getting a nom, though, because that movie is AMAZING.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG127 Hours - If I RiseCountry Strong - Coming HomeTangled - I See the LightToy Story 3 - We Belong Together

Ah, how could I have forgotten the mainstream blockbuster slot for Unstoppable (TRON: Legacy, I don't think, really applies to that)! How could I have missed the TRON film, though? I knew the sound was incredible, what was I thinking?

BEST SOUND MIXINGInceptionThe King's Speech Salt The Social NetworkTrue Grit

3/5

And again, Salt! How could I have forgotten? True Grit's really doing well in these tech categories, isn't it?

Sunday, January 23, 2011

I am so excited for Oscar noms tomorrow, you have no idea. Well, scratch that; since you're here, you are probably either (a) looking forward to them as much as I am, or (b) tired of reading about my own anticipation. Which is CRAZY. Reading about my anticipation is one of the highlights of life! (Or...wait...am I thinking of Niagara Falls?)

Some people may tell you about their "gut feelings" or "instincts". I wish I had either of those things, but these are pretty much wild guesses. Shots in the dark. Russian roulette.

BEST PICTURE127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, The Social Network, The Town, True Grit, Winter's Bone What? No Toy Story 3? I actually just kind of forgot about it and decided this looked fine, though I knew something was missing, so I re-read the Entertainment Weekly predix. Ah. Well, I'm more comfortable cutting an animated film than either 127 Hours or Winter's Bone. Toy Story 3 is certainly deserving, but I don't think that a 10-wide field means all animated, all the time.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The PGA announced their winner this evening, and if you follow any Oscar pundits on Twitter, then you know that everyone was a-twitter (a-ha) about the results. Why?

The Social Network won the Golden Globes for Best Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Score. It won the Critics Choice Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It's won more regional awards than any film in history (possibly because there are more regional awards now than ever before). It won LAFCA, National Board of Review, NYCC, etc., etc., etc. It's the favorite to win at the Oscars (though I've been telling my friends The Fighter BECAUSE I'M CRAZY).

But now the industry has actually started to chime in. And the PGA Award for Best Picture of the Year goes to....

THE KING'S SPEECH.

We won whaaaat?

Shock. Awe. And some bizarre foaming at the mouth. People who claimed to really admire The King's Speech and were surprised that it was a genuinely great film as opposed to just "Oscar bait", are now back to slinging mud. It's right back to being an old farts' film, to being "an embarrassment", to reflecting how passe the tastes of the industry are. And all I can say is, "Come the FUCK on."

You know what? I think The Social Network is a better film. I really do. But I'm not going to suddenly hate on The King's Speech because it took away that film's shot at winning 1115 awards (now it's only 1114! the horror!). The King's Speech is more than just a solidly-made movie; it's a touching film capturing the bonds of friendship, bonds that transcend class, manners, upbringing, nationality, etc. I'm talking about a film that everyone labeled Oscar Bait until they saw it, and realized that the director had an actual vision, the actors had great chemistry, and the writer had a real fucking story.

The Social Network has all these things, too. I didn't nominateThe King's Speech for Picture, Director, Screenplay, etc. But it's still one of my favorite movies of the year, because it really was one of the BEST of the year. Let it be recognized, just once, for more than Colin Firth's performance. And if it wins at the Oscars, I'll still be happy. If any of my Top Ten win best Picture, I'll be happy.

Congratulations to The King's Speech, a truly deserving winner. We've got a real race now, at least. It will only get trickier when The Fighter wins Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

UPDATED: VFX, Sound, and Song categories now include nominated peoples.

Dear readers, some of you are friends of mine who've been reading since my days on Livejournal (newer readers: don't look for it). Some of you I've become "Blog Buddies" with, friends whose voices I've never heard, but whose writing, reading and commenting has formed a bond between us. The rest of you: WELCOME! Those of you familiar enough with this site know of my "prestigious" Hollmann Awards, honoring the year's cinematic best in my opinion! But did you know this is the FIFTH ANNUAL?!? It's true!

Five is a big number, so I'll have to think of a way to honor that, but first: let's have a look at the Nominees! After the jump!

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Golden Globes are done and gone, and the BAFTAs announce tomorrow. One week after that, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announces its nominees for the 83rd Oscars. Before we get too influenced by other awards shows, we ought to share some feelings of our own. Namely, which movies are being considered in what categories.

It's a tradition here to do as BAFTA does and provide a longlist: eighteen categories, fifteen finalists in each, selected from the 70+ films I've screened this year. Does it kill some of the suspense? Maybe, but so does a Top Ten when you think about it (and you shouldn't, not too hard). Besides, you're just itching to narrow it down, aren't you? The suspense is killing you, isn't it? Maybe not, but if you're into that sort of thing (that is, my opinion), then continue reading, dear friends. Presenting the Hollmann Longlist:

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Ah, the Globes! I know everyone likes to diss the Golden Globes as meaningless, as starfucking at its worst, as a fake awards show made up of dubious choices by an organization no one seems to know much about (Hollywood Foreign Press Agency...what do they do?). These claims are often warranted, I'll grant you, especially when Alice in Wonderland, The Tourist and Red are nominated for Best Musical/Comedy, in a year that gave us Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Easy A, both of which made my Top Ten of the Whole Year (I don't segregate).

But who cares? The Globes are great fun, and to be honest, they march to the beat of their own drum more than people give them credit for. Remember when they awarded Atonement for Best Drama in 2007 over the Oscar favorite No Country for Old Men? It was the Globes awarding Avatar last year that cast doubt for The Hurt Locker's chances. They awarded The Aviator! They awarded The Hours! And as my friend Tom pointed out, they nominated four supporting actresses from the great Nashville. The Globes and I are friends.

Let me lay down some predictions for y'all, then.

BEST PICTURE - MUSICAL/COMEDY
Well, when you're nominating movies like Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist against masterpieces like Burlesque and The Kids Are All Right, then throwing in brainless fun like Red for good measure, predicting who will reign victorious can be a trifle...hard. But I usually like the Globes' choices in this category (The Hangover, Vicky Cristina Barcelona), so I'm going to go with The Kids Are All Right.

BEST PICTURE - DRAMA
Four of my Top Ten appear here, and five of my Top 25. Well-played, Globes. The Globes tend to go for love stories here, or for European films, or for both. The King's Speech -- with its central friendship, supportive wife, and Britishness -- should reign supreme here.

BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL/COMEDY

Annette Bening, please. The only Oscar contender in a category that includes Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore and Angelina Jolie. Oscars for Best Actor are only for Drama films. However, the Globes likes to give love to both Actress frontrunners -- remember Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep, Julie Christie and Marion Cotillard, Sally Hawkins and Kate Winslet (before Hawkins wasn't nominated at Oscar and The Reader took Revolutionary Road's spot)? So, yeah, Bening here...

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
...which means Natalie Portman wins here. And good for her! I feel like the HFPA were the only ones who saw Frankie and Alice, and have probably earned Halle Berry's eternal devotion. Michelle Williams might be a dark horse here, actually. I could see it happening, but I don't think it will. The other two -- Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence -- are the only nominees for their respective films, suggesting that the HFPA just doesn't love their movies enough. Shameful, but true. Rabbit Hole especially grows better and better in my mind with each passing day.

BEST ACTOR - MUSICAL/COMEDY
Previous winner Johnny Depp is up for two films here, neither of which present his best, or even second-best, work. Then we have Paul Giamatti, Jake Gyllenhaal and Kevin Spacey. Hm. Tough choice, really, since previous winners I either loved (Colin Farrell), liked a lot (Robert Downey, Jr.), or admired enough (Johnny Depp). Here, we have performance I hate, performance I was bored by, and three performances I haven't seen. Let me just take a shot in the dark and say Paul Giamatti.

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA

As strong as the performances turned in by Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Gosling, James Franco and Robert Duvall are, Colin Firth is in it to win it.

BEST DIRECTOR
Oh, David Fincher, obviously. Look, they may love The King's Speech in all other things, but you should probably give the Best Director award to the best director of the year. Even the Globes know that (thus Cameron won). Now, it's admittedly a tough choice since they nominated all the Best Directors -- Fincher, Aronofsky, Russell -- but I have faith in Fincher.

BEST SCREENPLAYUp in the Air...Slumdog Millionaire...No Country for Old Men...Brokeback Mountain. With the exception of The Queen, the Globe has been awarded to the Oscar frontrunner for Best Adapted Screenplay. Since I've been watching it, I mean. Inception keeps getting nods in this category, but I've no faith in its chances. 127 Hours, ditto. The Kids Are All Right would be a good win, actually, but the other two nominees are who it's really between. The Social Network? The King's Speech? Despite my feeling that they'll really go for The King's Speech, I think Aaron Sorkin'sThe Social Network wins here. It's the law of the adaptation.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
This is another category where I believe The King's Speech will topple the presumed frontrunner. I think Bale is a shoo-in for the SAG and Oscar, but Geoffrey Rush's understated performance as Lionel Logue pulls the heartstrings and tickles the funnybone. Douglas, Garfield and Renner are just glad to be here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Everyone would love to see Jacki Weaver take it, I know, but I just don't think it's going to happen. Mila Kunis is that odd nominee that will show up everywhere but not actually win anything. It's between the two girls from The Fighter and The King's Speech's Helena Bonham-Carter. Though they'll love The King's Speech and Bonham-Carter, her role is not enough to warrant an award. It's between Adams and Leo, either of whom could win...but I'm going with frontrunner and Critics' Choice Award Winner Melissa Leo.

The rest are just guesses and no-brainers. Determine amongst yourselves which are which.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me", Burlesque
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Toy Story 3
BEST FOREIGN FILM: Biutiful
BEST COMEDY SERIES: "Glee"
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Toni Collette, "The United States of Tara"
BEST DRAMA SERIES: "Boardwalk Empire"
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
BEST MINISERIES/MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: "Carlos"
BEST ACTOR IN A MINISERIES/MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Edgar Ramirez, "Carlos"
BEST ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES/MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Claire Danes, "Temple Grandin"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR ON TV: Chris Colfer, "Glee"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS ON TV: Jane Lynch, "Glee"

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The American Society of Cinematographers have announced their own nominees. The news is already a day old, but there's no harm in being a little late for these things. It's not like the nominees will suddenly disappear because I didn't blog about them...right? Or are the precursors like the walking ad monsters in that Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" episode, where their survival depends on how many people find them relevant and are compelled to watch? Whatever the case may be, I for one love the precursors, and the cinematography one interests me more and more.

Danny Cohen, The King's Speech

Jeff Cronenweth, The Social Network

Roger Deakins, True Grit

Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

Wally Pfister, Inception

Ok, I honestly would've predicted The Fighter's Hoyt von Hoytema instead of Cohen, so that is a surprise. But not the bad kind! It's a nice surprise, actually, since the cinematography in The King's Speech is actually pretty classy, pretty well-done, pretty top-notch.

This is a pretty strong list, isn't it? Much like the directors, we've got a solid group of master craftsmen in contention. Personally, I feel it's between Deakins and Libatique, and I'm predicting Libatique for the win. Great stuff, Black Swan.

Monday, January 10, 2011

All right, here's the second-to-last Insider Precursor that I follow. Tomorrow: American Society of Cinematographers; Today: Directors Guild.

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

David Fincher, The Social Network

Tom Hooper, The King's Speech

Christopher Nolan, Inception

David O. Russell, The Fighter

About as expected, actually. I never believed those whispers that Russell would have a hard time getting in, and I expect him to show up at the Oscars, as well. People like him a lot more than the internet thinks.

Aronofsky, Fincher and Hooper are safe as safe can be. I don't know why people expect Hooper to be the one left out in the cold. Have they seen The King's Speech? This isn't one of those "anyone could have directed it" royalty porn films, and it's just about the actors and screenplay. The direction and cinematography are ace, and those who think Hooper is at the fifth slot are sorely mistaken.

No, the one that continues to surprise me, honestly, is Nolan. I like Inception, I like Nolan, but while I think all five of these films are visually striking and tonally solid, Nolan is the weakest when it comes to performances. He's solid, don't get me wrong, I love much of what the actors did with their characters, but how can you compare it to The Fighter's family dynamics, the warm friendship and in The King's Speech, the snot-nosed youth and elitist adults in The Social Network, the camp-undertone in the operatics of Black Swan?

Saturday, January 8, 2011

This post is my contribution to this year's Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon, hosted by the gracious StinkyLulu. This year celebrates the Fifth Year of this always-anticipated tradition, and I just want to say thank you to Brian Herrera for coming back, even if it's just for one day, to keep the tradition alive.

When I first saw Maria Paiato in I Am Love, I knew she would be my contribution to the Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon. A second look reminded me why I fell in love with the role in the first place. And then I saw Malcolm's beautiful write-up over at My Last Oscar and thought, "Aw, shit." I knew I wouldn't be able to do it as well as Malcolm, he just put it all so beautifully, especially in his analysis of the finale. With video! Be sure to read that, too, or first.

And yet, when I look at my list of Best Supporting Actresses, this is the one I want to talk about. So, sorry for the redundancy, but a great performance is always worth mulling over.

From her first entrance, we know two things about Ida, head housekeeper to the Recchi family. First, we know that she likes the Russian-born wife of the Recchi heir, Emma (played with great subtlety and urgency by Tilda Swinton); we can tell by their easy way of talking, by the silent looks they give each other throughout. Second, we know that Ida knows everything that goes on in the house, better than anyone else in family; we can tell by the fact that she's the first to know about son Edoardo's new girlfriend, informing Emma so that they may arrange the seating for dinner. To her, this is natural. She is the perfect servant, it is her job to know everything...even the things she doesn't know.

When Emma returns from her first rendezvous with Edoardo's friend, Ida is the only one in the house. She goes about her chores, ironing sheets, when Emma looks up and invites her to dinner. I love Paiato's face here.

She's obviously caught off guard, but I think it's the same gob-smacked expression of flattery, and when Emma explains that it's because there's no one else home, her self-deprecating laugh and refusal breaks my heart. Of course that's why. She's just lonely. Ida returns to her maid face, but looks up again at the distracted Emma. Ida knows something is up,but there's also a trace of sadness there. I feel like she's wishing she hadn't refused, but it's too late to say anything now, and besides, that's just not the way things are done.

Her next big scene is comforting a sobbing Edoardo. Disillusioned with the way his father and business partners run the family company, Edo returns home to seek solace in his mother's arms; instead, he finds Ida, sits with her, and breaks down. I assume he did this before when he was a child, and surely Ida's been with them that long. You can see it by the way Paiato looks at him, with the affection and familiarity of a mother, but with the distance of an employee. And again, the surprise of his tears, followed by her having to mother him.

Paiato's mostly silent here, but her face and body language register everything. It's a nice contrast to the later hospital scene, when Betta finally arrives. She is the first to get up and rush to the girl's side, stopping just short of a comforting embrace. Instead, she stands aside when grandmother Rori and brother Gianluca rise to take on that responsibility. Ida just watches, and you can see that she wants to reach out, just as she was able to comfort Edo.

This is usually when most fans would talk about that big finale. I shan't, though, because there's something else I want to focus on. There's a scene where Emma is dreaming, and she hears a voice calling her by her Russian name, than a voice saying, "Emma. Emma." In her POV, it's at first a little girl...then, suddenly, Ida, waking her up like a mother would a daughter.

Cut to: reality. Ida walks in after this dream, calls Emma "signora", and wakes her up for real. It's a brief scene, mostly a wide, but it's important because of how Ida's character is presented to us. Emma, let us remember, was a Russian who the Italian Tancredi Recchi fell in love with and married, bringing her home; she has never returned to Russia, but she is still an outsider. Long before she begins an affair with the chef, she seems detached from things, though she does love her children. In various scenes, though, we see the affection between her and another outsider, the housekeeper. For her to dream of her servant calling her by her given names, a maternal figure, is significant. It establishes Ida as not just an employee, but the rock of this family. Edo goes to her, Betta almost goes to her, and now Emma wishes she could go to her; Ida, too, wishes there was something more she could do for Emma.

Paiato sells it. She is watchful, but not sneaky; loyal, but longing for more. Her face, her body language, everything tells us about this efficient, warm woman who has dedicated her life to taking care of people who see her as a servant. It's what makes this scene so resonant, the fact that Emma sees her as much more, and it makes that Big Finale all the more wrenching. Paiato's Ida is the very definition of a supporting turn, a true "actress at the edges", as StinkyLulu would say. In her subtle and beautiful performance, she gives us a complex portrait of a devoted housekeeper and friend. Remember Viola Davis in Far From Heaven, Frances E. Williams in The Reckless Moment, and Helen Mirren in Gosford Park? Well then you should remember Maria Paiato in I Am Love. She joins the Pantheon of Cinematic Servitude.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Producers and Writers Guilds announced their nominees for the Best/Most Outstanding/Most Well-Publicized [Blankety Blank] of the Year. The former stayed the course, though there was one entry that made me go, "Hm." Not shocked, mind you, and very pleased to see it, but I was expecting something else.

127 Hours

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

The Social Network

The Town

Toy Story 3

True Grit

I guess I have to buckle down and face facts: True Grit is a true blue contender. Not that I hated the movie, I'm just surprised. I really didn't think it was going to go anywhere besides screenplay and cinematography, and yet here we are, one PGA and two SAG noms later.

Now, the surprise for me was seeing 127 Hours instead of Winter's Bone. I thought the first would be more vulnerable, but I guess not. Now, is this slate going to repeat itself at the Oscars? Probably, actually. That's fine by me: 127 Hours made it to my Top 25, after all. I'd rather see Winter's Bone in there than The Town, though.

Ok, now the WGA always manages to toss in a surprise or two, especially considering how films like The King's Speech and Winter's Bone were deemed ineligible due to Guild membership requirements and whatnot.

Original

Black Swan - Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, story by Heinz

127 Hours - Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, from Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston

I Love You Phillip Morris - John Requa & Glenn Ficarra, from the book by Steven McVicker

The Social Network - Aaron Sorkin, from The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

The Town - Peter Craig and Ben Affleck & Aaron Stoddard, from Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan

True Grit - Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, from the novel by Charles Portis

I mean, those inclusions for Please Give and I Love You Phillip Morris are quite the how-do, don't you think? Actually, the latter has thrown off my game, making it the only nominee here that I haven't seen. Which means that I've got to find a way to get to Boca if I want to keep things consistent. I believe there's a separate animation branch, too, which explains the absence of Toy Story 3 from the adapted list; it worries me not.

I just want to point out this: this is the second career nomination for Ben Affleck by the WGA, and he's about to get a second person an acting Oscar nom. Maybe Affleck was the brains behind Good Will Hunting after all? Because according to every spoof show I watch, there's no way Affleck and Damon could be equally talented!

Four retired opera singers prepare for their annual tribute to Verdi.DR: Dustin HoffmanWR: Ronald Harwood, adapted from his playSTARS: Albert Finney, Maggie Smith, Tom CourtenayThe directorial debut of Dustin Hoffman is intriguing on its own, but the return of my favorite actress, two-time Academy Award Winner Dame Maggie Smith, to a starring role is too delicious to be believed.

Ensemble about a retirement home in Bangalore.DR: John Madden WR: Ol Parker & Deborah Moggach, adapted from the novel by MoggachSTARS: Hollmann Award Nominee Bill Nighy, Hollmann Award Nominee Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Dev PatelOh my god oh my god Dench and Smith together again for the first time in six years oh my god pinch me!

17. War Horse

World War I as seen through the eyes of a Devon boy's horse.
DR: Steven Spielberg
WR: Lee Hall & Richard Curtis, adapted from the novel by Michael Morpurgo
STARS: Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, David Kross, David Thewlis, Toby Kebbell, Niels ArestrupI read the play adaptation by Nick Stafford and was deeply moved. I can't wait to see Mullan in this; his was my favorite character.

16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Harry's journey finally comes to a head in a final battle with Lord Voldemort.
DR: David Yates
WR: Steve Kloves, adapted from the novel by J.K. Rowling
STARS: Hollmann Award Nominee Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ciaran Hinds, Maggie SmithI didn't expect Part I to be that spectacular. Egg on my face. Ciaran Hinds, one of my favorite actors, joins the cast, and oh look! Maggie Smith!

15. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Young adventurer and his dog go on globe-trotting adventures, I think.
DR: Steven Spielberg
WR: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish, adapted from the comic book by Herge
STARS: Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Toby Jones, Andy Serkis, Nick FrostSee, it doesn't matter what the plot is. I watched the television show on Nickelodeon when I was a kid, because it was awesome. So here I am, super excited for a mo-cap adventure directed by one of the greats. Bring it! On!

14. Butter

The wife of a former butter-carving champion is determined to win same competition this year, but is threatened by a new entrant: an eleven-year-old butter-carving prodigy.
DR: Jim Field Smith
WR: Jason A. Micallef
STARS: Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Yara Shahidi, Ashley Greene, Olivia WildeI hear that all this is a metaphor for the last presidential Democratic primaries. If so, turning it into a butter-carving competition is quite inventive. Alicia Silverstone is another actress whose comeback I'm championing, by the way.

A government worker and an activist work to free whales trapped under the Arctic Circle.
DR: Ken Kwapis
WR: Jack Amiel & Michael Begler
STARS: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell, Ted DansonThe most beautiful woman in showbiz is finally working with Krasinski, who should be the go-to guy for leading man roles. Always.

11. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Remake of the Swedish thriller in which a journalist and a punk hacker team up to solve a decades-old missing persons case.
DR: Hollmann Award Nominee David Fincher
WR: Steven Zaillian, adapted from the novel by Stieg Larsson
STARS: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright1) Two of these casting choices are perfect. 2) The Swedish film is...imperfect. If only it had a solid, masterful director who is adept at both thrillers and human dramas OH LOOK DAVID FINCHER. Ace.

George Smiley seeks a Russian agent within MI-6 during the Cold War.
DR: Tomas Alfredson
George Smiley seeks a Russian agent within MI6 during the Cold War.
WR: Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan, adapted from the novel by John le Carre
STARS: Hollmann Award Nominee Gary Oldman, Hollmann Award Nominee Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Ciaran Hinds, Mark StrongThey're making me wait for another Bond, so I have to get my sophisticated British espionage fix from somewhere. Oldman getting the rare lead role is a nice bonus, as is the inclusion of Hinds. I love Ciaran Hinds.

A young vet joins a circus.
DR: Frances Lawrence
WR: Richard Lagravenese, adapted from the novel by Sara Gruen
STARS: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Hal HolbrookMaybe it was the use of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis's score from The Assassination of Jesse James. Maybe it's the cinematography. Maybe it's the fact that I just like to watch Hal Holbrook. I don't know what it is, but that trailer did its job, and now I eagerly await this movie's release.

5. The Help

A Mississippi belle befriends her black housekeeper in the 1960s.
DR: Tate Taylor
WR: Taylor, adapted from the novel by Kathryn Stockett
STARS: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Cicely TysonI love all of these women, and stories that take place in the South. It's nice to see Tyson getting away from the Tyler Perry movies -- I mean, I love love love his movies, but it'd be disheartening to think he was the only director making use of her talent.

4. Contagion

International team of doctors deals with the outbreak of a deadly virus.
DR: Steven Soderbergh
WR: Scott Z. Burns
STARS: Hollmann Award Winner Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude LawPeople. Do I have to explain my love of large all-star casts? I feel like its clear at this point on the list.

3. The Ides of March

A campaign staffer for a presidential hopeful learns about the seedy side of politics.
DR: George Clooney
WR: Clooney & Grant Heslov, adapted from the play by Beau Willimon
STARS: Hollmann Award Nominee Ryan Gosling, Hollmann Award Nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Giamatti, George ClooneyClooney returns to directing in a drama that sounds right up his alley. I am so excited about the cast, the material, Clooney, everything!

2. My Week with Marilyn

Olivier's assistant witnesses the tension between the actor and co-star Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl.
DR: Simon Curtis
WR: Adrian Hodges, adapted from the memoir by Colin Clark
STARS: Hollmann Award Nominee Judi Dench, Eddie Redmayne, Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Emma WatsonCall me a sucker for an Old Hollywood tale. No, really, do it. You'd be right!

1. Midnight in Paris

An American family travels to Paris for business.
DR/WR: Woody Allen
STARS: Hollmann Award Winner Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Alison PillEarly set photos made it look like a 20s-set film, and I think Allen always excels in period pieces. Hell, I love The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, don't understand at all the hate against it. He's one of my favorite filmmakers of all time, definitely my favorite screenwriter, and this looks like one of the strongest ensembles he's assembled.